The applicant is aware of the following prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,800,489 entitled, “AUGER-OPERATED DEER FEEDER”, issued to Coxsey on Aug. 12, 2014 discloses a game feeder that employs a confined auger to convey game feed from a hopper to a desired feed location.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,317 entitled, “ANIMAL FEEDER”, issued to Bodenstab on Feb. 22, 2011 discloses an animal feeder for supplying a feed to an animal of choice for feeding the animal of choice in an unprotected environment such as the outdoors. The feeder comprising a base for support of the feeder on a ground surface, a support frame extending upwardly from the base and a hopper supported by the frame. The hopper having a storage reservoir for storing a supply of feed with a feed entry opening that is closeable to prevent exposure to the outdoors. The hopper further including a feed chute below the reservoir having an upper region sealingly joined to the reservoir and a lower region below the upper region that is sealingly joined to a feeding chamber. The feeding chamber having a bottom surface wherein the feed supply can move from the reservoir into the feeding chamber and rest on the bottom surface based on gravity alone. The hopper further including a horizontally extending elongated channel extending from the feeding chamber with an outer end having a feeding opening open to the outdoors wherein the feeding chamber is spaced from the opening and the feed substantially remains within the hopper and spaced from the outdoors until it is consumed by the animal of choice.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,201,520 entitled, “ANIMAL FEEDING APARATUS”, issued to Meritt on Jun. 19, 2012 discloses a gravity flow animal feed dispensing apparatus which includes feed supply tubes depending from a bottom wall of a feed storage hopper supported by a frame elevated above ground level. Feed dispensing tubes or a plate are connected to the feed supply tubes and flow control baffles and/or a flow control valve limit the dispensing of feed. A wildfowl embodiment of the apparatus includes an access control cage disposed about the feed dispensing member. The orientation of the feed supply tubes and dispensing tubes may be varied to provide access to feed by animals of various sizes and to provide for placement of the apparatus adjacent a confinement wall or fence.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,651 entitled, “FEEDER SYSTEM”, issued to Kight on Apr. 16, 2013 discloses a trough that has a vertically disposed open front and a parallel rear panel and a horizontally disposed bottom panel. A front edge is located beneath the open front. The trough has an angled panel between the rear panel and the bottom panel. Vertically disposed side panels create a chamber therebetween with a horizontally disposed rectangular open top. A vertically disposed divider panel is located within the chamber. The divider panel is parallel with and spaced between the open front and rear panel. In this manner a major chamber is formed rearwardly and a minor chamber forwardly. A passageway is formed between the divider panel and the bottom panel. In this manner, food in the major chamber will move to the minor chamber upon depletion of food from the minor chamber.